'Baby Steps' by Isabelle Schuler is a short film inspired by Shakespeare's 'Sonnet 66'. 

After reading 'Sonnet 66', Schuler was inspired to respond with a sonnet of her own addressing the bleak picture Shakespeare creates. While Shakespeare’s sonnet expresses frustration and hopelessness in the face of issues that are eerily relevant to today’s audience ('maiden virtue rudely strumpeted' 'to behold desert a beggar born'), Schuler’s sonnet presents a more hopeful picture. Though the greater issues of the world may seem overwhelming, even the reconciliation of one small disagreement is a step in the right direction. Based on the narrative that these two sonnets tell, 'Baby Steps' reminds us that there is hope, that we can make a difference, and that it is possible to make peace.
 

'I've always found Shakespeare's language magically transforming. There is such a visual component to the words he uses to convey stories that it's felt like the most natural thing to translate his work to film.'  Isabelle Schuler

Film credits

Director Martha Reed

Writer and producer Isabelle Schuler

A From Sonnet to Song production